Awesome Summer Street Corn

My husband and I were lucky enough to be able to attend the San Diego Comic Con this past July. Our first day there we stopped at a restaurant recommended on yelp called "The Blind Burro". The single most highly rated item on the menu was their off the cob street corn---and with good reason. This dish was amazing. I had never had anything like it and to even try and describe how creamy and delicious it was wouldn't do it justice. It was so rich that sadly, I couldn't finish it, but I came back to Boston determined to try and recreate it.

This recipe focuses on off-the-cob street corn because lets face it, what adult wants to eat corn-on-the-cob in front of other people? There's just no good way to do it and still be able to leave the table feeling dignified. This tasty dish is versatile, you can add it to a family bbq, make a quick snack, cook it over a campfire, or serve it at a fancier event.

From start to finish, this recipe takes maybe 15 minutes.

-Corn (ears, frozen corn, etc it all works! How much you need depends on how much you make, but for 2-4 people I've been doing 4-6 ears or 1 bag of Trader Joe's frozen corn.)

-1/2-3/4 pack of Cotija cheese (originating from Mexico, this is an interesting hard cheese that crumbles like Feta and doesn't melt--but grates like a dream)

-Mexican Crema (or a couple tablespoons of sour cream if you can't find the crema, as I couldn't)

-Your favorite hot sauce, I used Tapatio as it was the brand the Blind Burro used and I happened to find it in my local grocery store.

-salt and pepper to taste

-dash of chili powder (and/or paprika)

-1 lime

Cook your corn according to your preferred style, I used TJ's frozen corn so it had to be boiled and then drained. While the corn was boiling, I grated the Cotija and sliced the lime.

After a few minutes in the boiling water, I drained the corn and then put it into a pre-heated pan with a little oil, added salt and pepper, and then cooked until brown. This took about 5 or so minutes on high heat.

After the corn was sufficiently browned, I added the cheese and sour cream and stirred to mix as well as possible. Keep in mind, Cotija doesn't really melt, not the way you want it to. So shredding (rather than chopping as I found out the hard way) lends itself a smoother cheese, but it will not fully melt.

The Blind Burros' street corn was smooth and creamy, I suspect this has something to do with their ability to get their hands on Mexican Crema. Regardless, the corn still comes out great!

After a few minutes of mixing the corn, cheese and cream over heat, remove and dish. The last touches are the lime, sprinkle of chili powder, and then the hot sauce.

This dish reheats really well and is even better the next day.